Behind Bright Grey Eyes
by imafuckingparadox
Summary: We all have secrets. But who knew the most handsome boy in school had the biggest ones of all? "My façade was crumbling little by little. Soon Hermione would realise I was in love with her." Rated M for language and possible smut in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco hasn't received the task from Voldemort. I'm trying to avoid Voldemort and the Death Eaters in this story, so if you're looking for anything besides romance and drama, leave now. Or better yet, _stay_ and read my story... pretty please? :)

There will be a lot of cheesy lovey-dovey stuff, some fights between friends, you know, make-ups and break-ups. Basically Dramione, but still a whole lot of Harry and Ron involved. Stay tuned!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, though I strongly wish I owned a Draco Malfoy.

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><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

I woke up on December 18th feeling happy. Christmas was only a week away and Harry, Ron and I were excited to finally be able to spend Christmas break together at Hogwarts without having to concoct any sort of devious plan. There was no word of Voldemort; I was a bit worried he might be planning something colossal, but the pleasant atmosphere at Hogwarts dissipated my worry.

A sort of calm reigned over the entire castle, and all the houses – except Slytherin – seemed to be in a permanently good mood.

Life was good, for a while.

But on December 18th, everything changed.

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><p>That morning, I got up before anyone else in my dormitory. I didn't sleep in, despite the fact that it was Saturday. I made my way down to the Great Hall, where only five or six other students sat eating breakfast or reading the <em>Daily Prophet<em>.

I enjoyed a few moments of peaceful quiet until, of course, a fight broke out just outside the Hall. I would've bet anything that the one who started it was a Slytherin.

Sure enough, once I got to the center of the commotion, I spotted Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, aiming his wand directly at Ron, who also had his wand out. Harry stood beside him, whispering things into his ear. Knowing Harry Potter, he was probably telling Ron to let it go and not listen to a word of it.

Then Malfoy called on me.

"Hey, Granger! Come to support your poor little husband?"

I stepped into the center of the ring formed by the students would wouldn't dare miss a duel between rivals, directly between Malfoy and my two best friends.

I stood and stared at the blonde with a blank expression on my face. I willed him to realise he was being a tosser and decide to stop tormenting me and my friends. But he just kept going.

"Oh, great comeback, Granger," Malfoy snickered. "What, are you gonna stare at me all day? I mean, I know I'm good-looking but Mudbloods like you—"

His words were cut off as a spell flew past my head and hit him straight in the face. His head snapped back for a second, then he turned to us, opened his mouth, and—

Nothing came out.

We all turned to see Professor McGonagall watching us with a smug look on her face. The crowd cleared a path for her as she approached us slowly. She stopped just short of running into Malfoy.

"As far as I'm concerned, Mr Malfoy, you are not allowed to use such foul words inside these castle walls. You shall remain silent for the remainder of the day whether you like—it—or—not."

She tapped his nose each time she said those last four words and curtly walked away.

Malfoy spun round and was about to mouth something at her, but Ron lunged at him and jabbed his wand into the Slytherin's neck.

"Don't," threatened Ron, "or I swear you'll regret it."

We all read Malfoy's lips.

"My father will hear about this."

I hadn't noticed Fred and George were among the spectators until they spoke up in unison, "Like we give a _fuck _what your father has to say, you annoying little git."

Malfoy and his followers shot us all death glares, but didn't say anything. Not that the blonde could have even if he wanted to.

The loud screeching of the owls delivering the post sounded, and everyone but my best friends and I rushed in to retrieve their mail.

"What did he say _this _time?" I asked them quietly.

Ron was too busy staring at the ground to answer me.

"Doesn't matter, Hermione," Harry said. "Just stay away from that git." And with that, they both joined the rest of the wizards in the Great Hall.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Even when things were going well, Malfoy managed to bring us down.

I didn't care what Harry said. I was going to face Malfoy once and for all.

I needed to know what his problem was.

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><p><strong>Draco<strong>

I couldn't have been more relived when everyone dispersed because of the owl post. It gave me a reason to walk away without looking like a coward.

I was worried. My façade was crumbling little by little. Soon Hermione would see though my taunting and insults. She would realise I was in love with her. And I would have to face the first girl-rejection of my life; and it would hurt like fuck. I probably wouldn't be able to handle it. I'd faced rejection from my father way too many times.

I shook myself mentally as my friends and I made our way to the Slytherin table. 'Stay strong, Draco,' I thought. 'You need to get through this.'

I told myself I'd be gone for two weeks during Christmas holiday and that would give me time to work on my feelings.

Then an owl dropped a letter onto my plate of toast. I made sure Crabbe and Goyle were too busy stuffing their fat faces before I opened it.

_Your aunt Bellatrix can't watch over you. Don't you date even _think _of coming home. It's bad enough I have to spend all summer with you in my house. Stay at the school._

_ Lucius Malfoy_

I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying not to let any tears escape. When I opened them again, Hermione's eyes caught mine from the Gryffindor table. My heart skipped a beat, then I shot her the ice-gold glare I'd practised so many times.

"I'm going out for a walk," I tried to say, but no one could hear me. So I left without a word.

As soon as I reached the doors leading outside the castle, I threw the crumpled letter from my father onto the ground.

I wanted somebody to find it.

I wanted somebody to read it and _care_ about me.

I _needed. Somebody._

Anybody.

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><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

I caught up to Malfoy just in time to see him throw a piece of paper side angrily. Once he was out of sight, I picked it up, but I didn't read it. I ran after him.

He was sitting on a large boulder by the edge of the Black Lake. I stood ten feet behind him.

His body was shaking. I didn't think he'd heard me, because he didn't say anything. Then I remembered McGonagall's spell.

I performed the counter-curse on him. I immediately heard his quiet sobs.

He still didn't acknowledge my presence, though.

He just remained hunched over.

I pulled the piece of parchment out of my pocket and read it. And I felt a sudden pang of guilt.

Malfoy had a terrible life. His father clearly didn't want to see his face. He was a cruel man, rejecting his own son.

And I'd never thought that maybe Malfoy had a _reason _for being so mean all the time.

But why was his father like this?

I reread the letter and noticed that it was signed by his father... and no word of his mother.

"What's your mum's say in this?" I asked quietly.

Malfoy's sobs suddenly stopped with a choking sound.

His body toppled backwards onto the sand.

His face was pale and his wrists were bloody.

My scream echoed across the lake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Draco**

I dreamt I was alone. I was in a dark open space. It was cold. I tried to get my bearings by taking steps in every direction.

But then again, in the dark, is there such a thing as direction?

There were no walls. It was endless. The thick blackness surrounding me accentuated my fear of being alone.

It was total isolation.

Torture for my soul.

I screamed, but I didn't hear it.

I fell to my knees as I yelled and screamed and pleaded for help for so long that my throat burned.

But I still couldn't hear it.

Tears ran down my face as I thought, _This must be insanity_.

A voice sounded. A faint outline of a man materialized before me, mere inches away.

"Get off the floor."

I didn't move.

"Pick yourself up, you piece of shit!" yelled my father.

I got up. Faced him. But didn't look him in the eye.

He spit in my face.

More tears.

He slapped me.

"You've no reason to cry. You know what you did."

I sniffed.

"Do you think being my only child is going to save you from my wrath? There's a _reason_ you don't have siblings. You killed your mother."

I shook my head.

He roared, "You dare deny it? She's dead because of _you_! She died trying to give you _life_! And you don't have the decency to fucking admit it?

"I remember being _excited_." He said the word like it tasted bad. "Narcissa was _ecstatic_. We were going to have a baby! What mother wouldn't be excited? But she didn't _know_ she wouldn't even live long enough to hold you in her arms!"

I just stood there and listened.

"You're a disgrace. I can barely stand to look at you anymore. You—"

I punched him in the face.

He fell. So I punched him senseless.

Then I sucked in a deep breath and ran away.

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><p>I ran for what felt like hours.<p>

I crumpled into a heap on the floor.

And I willed myself to die.

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><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

It had been three days since Draco had passed out. By the time Professor Snape had come to help, Draco had lost so much blood, and most of it had seeped into the lake, that Madam Pomfrey wasn't able to magically restore it.

She gave him a potion that was supposed to help and said he just needed rest.

And that he'd be fine.

I found myself caring too much about Draco's recovery. I guess I just felt guilty. I _was _guilty. I was the only one there with him; no one else could be blamed.

I should've realised what he was doing. I shouldn't have just stood there like a bloody _idiot_.

I thought about it a lot during the hours that I sat by Draco's hospital bed. I brushed his hair away from his face as I wondered what he could've possibly done to make his father treat him so cruelly.

The letter... it hurt me to read it. To think that any kid my age could be hated by their own parents...

Again I wondered what his mother thought of all this. Did she hate Draco, too? Or was she too scared to act against her husband's will?

Was Lucius Malfoy forcing Narcissa to hate Draco?

I felt bad for him. Slytherin or not, Death Eater of member of the Order, a person is a person and I had no shame in my pity for Draco.

He needed a friend.

I vowed to be that friend, no matter how dangerous it would be.

I stared at his closed eyelids and whispered, "Will you let me in, Draco?"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Hope you guys liked this one! It's a bit dark, I know, but it's going to get better. Please leave me a review on where you'd like Hermione and Draco to go, so I can please you as best I can :)

Thanks for reading! Please review! xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Yes, I'm back! And so is Dramione 3. Okay, this one is short, but I feel like I kept you guys waiting long, so here it is. I'll probably update again during the weekend. Also: This chapter is happy-shmappy cutsie stuff, so you better like it! And review! :)

**Draco**

I sat on the floor with my arms wrapped around my legs.

I was nearing the end of my dream. I could feel it. Light was beginning to creep into my vision.

I still couldn't speak.

But I could hear.

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><p>I heard Madam Pomfrey.<p>

"Don't worry, dear, he'll be just fine. He just needs some rest," she said.

I heard a sigh... of relief. I couldn't tell who it came from, though.

Then, one day, I heard Potter's voice.

"Ginny. Feeling alright today?"

Weasley must've had a Quidditch accident. Served her right.

And finally, there was the voice that woke me up.

Her voice made my heart leap. I realised with a shiver that she was the one who had been talking to Madam Pomfrey.

She really cared.

Light was streaming in everywhere now. It was almost blinding. The darkness that had tortured me for Merlin knows how long was being destroyed, overpowered by my happiness.

I stood up from my spot on the cold hard floor and stretched.

"Will you let me in, Draco?" Hermione asked.

That's when my voice suddenly came back to me.

"I'm coming, Hermione," I said. "Thank you for waiting."

And I woke up.

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><p>It was difficult at first.<p>

I must've been out for days, because my eyelids felt heavy with the permanence of being shut. It took me a while to get to my sense, but once I did, I lifted myself slowly and rested on my elbows.

Hermione gasped at my sudden awakening. She sat back in her chair and seemed to be holding her breath, expecting me to collapse again.

I managed a smile. She started grinning. So I laughed. Then she started laughing.

That was probably one of the best moments of my life. I was full of joy.

I cleared my throat, tested my voice, and I finally spoke.

"I heard you."

She was clearly taken aback. "Heard me what?"

I shook my head, still smiling, and said, "Yes, I'll let you in."

She watched me for a moment, then returned my smile and said, "I should go get Madam Pomfrey."

She got up, but stopped after a few steps.

She came back and hugged me gently.

"I'm so glad you're okay."

She had tears in her eyes.

Then she left.

And so my friendship with Hermione began.

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><p>That day, Madam Pomfrey let me leave the Hospital Wing. She said I'd recovered fully in my sleep and I was ready to get my life back on track.<p>

Once I had stepped outside the massive doors of the infirmary, I heard someone sit up and brush their clothes off. Hermione was waiting for me right by the doors.

She stood up and said awkwardly, "Um, hi."

"Why are you here?" I asked curiously. "I mean, why were you sitting by my bed?"

"I was worried," she said slowly, as if she was offended by my question. "I felt so guilty, I could barely stand it. I was with you when you... remember?"

"Oh, yeah," I muttered, staring at the ground, "sorry about that."

"Sorry?" She moved toward me and gently touched my arm. "Look, Draco," she started talking in a rush then, "I read the letter from your father and I know it's hard but I want to help you even though we've always been rivals and we've hated each other for years because I can only imagine how you must be feeling..."

I couldn't help myself. I hugged her, very suddenly and tightly, but she adapted straight away and... hugged me back.

"Thank you," I whispered into her ear. "Hermione," I added.

It was the first time I'd ever called her by her first name, and it felt nice. That moment was so amazingly intimate that you could've played _My Heart Will Go On _in the background and it would have fit perfectly.

Of course, it was only intimate to _me._

To her, it was more of a friend hug.

And so she pulled away all too quickly.

"There's just one problem. How do we tell our friends about this?"

"Simple," I answered. "We don't."

Hermione had a blank look on her face, as if she wasn't familiar with the concept of lying.

"I don't know..." she hesitated.

"Don't worry." A mischievous smile spread across my face. "I'll teach you."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thanks for reading! Please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **WHAT ARE YOU DOING, READING MY AUTHOR'S NOTE? IT'S BORING, BRO. SCROLL DOWN AND READ THE FANFIC! IT'S GOT HOT BRITS IN IT!

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><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

I was uneasy about Draco's plan to hide our friendship from Ron and Harry. I had no problem, however, with hiding it from the Slytherins.

"We need a secret place to meet."

"Follow me," Draco said.

He took me to the dungeons, beside the doors leading to the Slytherin Common Room. He took out his wand, tapped on a few bricks, and the wall slid aside, leaving an opening just wide enough for the both of us to... slither in.

It was so dark once the door slid back that I could no longer see Draco, but the passage was so narrow that I could feel him standing right in front of me. His cold hand found mine as he said, "I hope you don't mind."

As a response, I gently squeezed his hand. I definitely didn't mind him holding my hand, as long as it was all friendly. I could almost see the glow of his smile through the darkness.

We walked for so long that my mind wandered from subject to subject. First, I focused of the now-warm feel of Draco's hand clutching mine. I found I quite enjoyed it. This whole new friendship felt so right that I was certain things were going to get better. Next, I thought about the letter from Lucius and decided I'd have to talk to Draco about it later.

Then I remembered Harry and Ron. I'd never lied or hidden anything—aside the Time Turner, on Professor McGonagall's orders—from them. The fact that I was sneaking around with not only their school nemesis, but a Death Eater's _son_ would make them want to blast me into oblivion.

But I had a lot of defensive arguments, the first of which being that Draco wasn't exactly on speaking terms with his father, and had never participated in any of Voldemort's major plans in the last five years, so I had reason to believe he wasn't what everyone made him out to be. Also, in our fourth year, Ron had completely spoiled the Yule Ball for me, so this was sort of like payback. It may have happened years ago, but revenge is revenge.

Oh, no. Just being _around_ Draco was influencing me. Lying, hiding, revenge... what was happening to me? Next I'd be stealing food from the kitchens between mealtimes, and before I knew it I'd be headed straight for Azkaban!

I stopped walking and tugged on Draco's hand.

"Why'd you stop?" he asked.

"I can't do this. I can't _lie!_ I'm not used to—"

Draco's laugh interrupted me. His voice echoed along the dark, narrow passageway. He moved so close to me that I could feel his sweet breath on my face. "We're about ten feet away from the Corner. Do you really want to turn back now?"

I decided, at that moment precisely, that I had come that far and I wasn't backing out. I was done being such a goodie-two-shoes.

"Let's go."

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><p>We reached another door, this one wooden with silver lettering spray-painted across it, reading, "The Corner." Underneath that, someone had written messily in gold, "a.k.a. the place too chill, do bad stuffs and have sexx!"<p>

"This sign always makes me laugh," the blond chuckled.

I had to admit, it was pretty funny, the way the Slytherins broke the rules without a hint of hesitation or regret. But the bad grammar and spelling really irked me. I was also sort of worried about the "bad stuffs and sex".

Draco swung the door open, and we stepped into a circular room that was comfortably small, filled with colourful couches and pillows. They were red, orange, green, blue, yellow... I immediately felt at peace.

"Bright colours?" I asked. "I thought you guys were, you know... dark." I tried to use the most appropriate word to describe his Housemates.

Draco smiled faintly. "I thought you, of all people, would understand that things aren't always what they seem. Most everyone is misjudged. Yes, we do things that no other Houses do. Yes, we break the rules. Yes, we're usually the ones to cause trouble at Hogwarts. But," he whispered, leaning close to me, "we all have our secret, soft sides."

He stepped back and spread his arms wide. "This is the real, raw Slytherin. And I'm trusting you with this. Please don't make me regret it."

"I won't," I whispered, but I don't think he heard me. He was too busy fetching us some bottles of Butterbeer from a cooler resting against the wall. He tossed one to me and said, "We can stay here and talk for as long as you want. No one usually comes around at this hour. But first, we get comfy."

Draco settled down into a big orange couch, one that looked so soft you would melt into it the second you sat down. Sure enough, once I joined him, I felt like I was sitting on a cloud.

We were facing each other, Draco and I, my left shoulder and his right one leaning against the back of the sofa. We both crossed our legs, so close our knees almost touched.

I felt so _naturally_ comfortable around him that it was... _unnatural_.

How ironic.

"So, Miss Granger, what would you like to talk about?" he asked, wiping away his Butterbeer foam mustache.

"No last names," I said sternly. "Call me Hermione."

"Can I call you Hermy?"

"Can I call you Dragon?" I countered.

"No nicknames it is," he settled, smiling.

I glanced at the wonderful room around us. "It's brilliant in here."

"I expect you Gryffindors don't have a hiding spot. We're the only ones who are badass enough to make one." He smirked.

"Impressive," I said quietly. "So, if I understood correctly, Slytherins are bad and mean, but not emo or gothic?"

"Exactly."

"What do you do around here?"

Draco grinned. "D'you really wanna know?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I can take it."

"Well, for the lads it's mostly pigging out, and for the girls it's gossiping. Some people, the _real _rebels, get their hands on some magical drugs, which they use while shagging in those rooms," he said, pointing at a narrow hallway that branched off the Corner.

I stared at the dark hallway in shock. "Have people ever done that while you were here? I mean, do you ever have to listen—"

The blond laughed. "The rule is that the lovers have to cast the Muffliato spell after going in... but, yeah, I've had to leave a couple of times because of newbies who forget." He grinned and shook his head, as if it was a good memory. I personally, found it disgusting. But I was hoping to change that. I wanted to become as laid-back as Draco.

"And the magical drugs?" I asked him. My tone wasn't condescending, I was merely curious, is all.

"They're brill." He grinned. "What they basically do is they show you what the person in front of you wants you to do to them. Sexually," he added.

I didn't know what to say to that. Mostly I was angry that I'd never heard of these drugs before. With all the books I read daily, I should've found at least _one _reference to them.

The look on my face must've mirrored my thoughts, because Draco threw his head back and laughed. "You're facial expressions are just priceless." I felt my cheeks get hot, but he cupped them with his hands and said, "In a good way. You crack me up, Hermione."

I smiled, and he pulled his hands away. My face suddenly felt cold with the absence of his body heat. I loved the feeling I got every time he touched me. Not in a romantic way, of course. Well, _hopefully_ not. The last thing I needed was for him to get freaked out and start hating me again because he thought I was madly in love with him.

I returned my thoughts to the drugs and sighed heavily. Draco understood what I was thinking and said, "You haven't heard of them because they're recent. And it's all been hushed up. It's real illegal stuff. If we got caught, we'd be sent straight to Azkaban."

"You said _we_. Have you used them?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Ah. That's _my _business."

"Don't you _dare _ever think of using them to see what _I'm _thinking," I said seriously.

"Why?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows. "Scared I'm gonna see all your fantasies where you get to touch me?"

"I don't need to _fantasize _about touching you. I can do it whenever I want," I said arrogantly. I really didn't know where that came from. It just felt like... the right thing to say.

"Fine then," Draco said maliciously. "Kiss me."

_Uh-oh._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Kay. There's another chapter done. Hope you enjoyed it... as well as the cliffhanger... mouahahahahaa.. you'll just have to wait for the next chapter! Hope you stick around, man. Anyways, please review! (There may be a free cookie in it for ya). :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Okay guys, this is my longest chapter yet. Tried to put lotsa stuff in this one so you have SOMETHING to review about... If I don't get at least 5 reviews on this chapter, I may go into depression. Melodramatic? Yes, yes I am.

Anyways, enjoy! :)

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><p><strong>Draco<strong>

Hermione seemed to hesitate for a second, debating between if I was joking or not. Then I guess she decided to become a daredevil, because she looked deep into my eyes and moved closer to me. She slid her arms around my neck and stopped about a millimetre from touching her lips to mine.

"Are you sure you want me to?" she whispered.

My breaths were coming out in short wisps. I didn't think this moment, this _feeling_ would ever come. In response, I said, "I can't really think straight with you so close to me."

"Good to know." She laughed quietly, almost nervously. As if it was something she had also been waiting a long time to do. As if kissing me was something she cared about, something she didn't want to mess up.

The moment her lips finally met mine, I swear my heart burst right out of my chest. They were soft, warm lips. They felt familiar... and _right_. Like she belonged to me. Like she was meant for me.

I loved it.

I loved _her_.

And, more than anything, I wanted her to love me.

The kiss was passionate, but simple. It was long, but not wet or uncomfortable. It was just a kiss. A perfect one.

Then she pulled away, and her eyes were full of tears.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco asked worriedly.

I shook my head and placed my hand on my mouth. It was too much, all of it. I didn't know why I'd kissed him. I just—I just couldn't think straight anymore—things were changing—_everybody_ was changing—

It was like I wasn't in control of myself anymore, and that was the scariest feeling I'd ever experienced.

He shook me gently. He forced my chin up, made me look into his eyes, his stormy, bright grey eyes. He hid so much behind them. He was a completely different person now than he had been during all those years at Hogwarts. I didn't know if he'd just now changed, or if he'd always been this soft and mushy and had hidden it behind a cold, hard façade.

Either way, I wanted to know the truth.

I sniffed and wiped away my tears with my sleeve. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, we do." He nodded.

"Can you promise to tell me everything? And be truthful," I added.

He actually _thought_ about it for a moment, sighed, and then, "Of course."

"Do you have a lot hidden from me?"

"I do."

"Let's start with that kiss," I said awkwardly. "I—I only did it because you asked me to."

"I asked you to because I think you're beautiful," he replied earnestly.

I blushed, probably a little too much. "Really?"

Draco sighed and said, "Why don't I just make this easier for the both of us and tell you everything at once?" He took a deep breath and continued, "Hermione, you know about my father. And my mother. But you don't know the whole story behind that yet. I'll tell you later, when I can trust you completely. Right now, we have to take things slow."

"Why do you even want to be friends?" I blurted. My question sounded way more harsh than I intended.

Draco blinked in surprise and said, "You're the one who asked if I'd let you in."

"I asked because I'd read the letter from your father. His cruel few words told me everything I needed to know. I knew you needed a friend, so I offered. But I hadn't expected you to let me in so easily."

It was true. Despite the fact that we'd spent the last five years telepathically sending death threats to each other, we'd become friends very easily.

"I don't know, Hermione. I really don't know what to tell you. But listen," he said, taking my hands in his, "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have. We've _both_ quickly let our guard down. We've _both _been having a good time until now. We must be doing something right if we're both capable of throwing away five years of hatred in exchange for complete trust. We... we must've been lying to ourselves this whole time." He smiled, then laughed, and I laughed with him. "We must be real compatible people. Hey, I mean, everything happens for a reason, right?" He looked deep into my eyes then, and I saw that he really believed in what he was saying.

"Yeah. Things do happen for a reason."

"So let's just take what's thrown at us and deal with it as best we can. Let's throw the past away and just keep looking ahead. How's that?" Draco widened his eyes like a puppy, begging me to just agree with anything he says.

I nudged him playfully and said, "You're an okay guy, Malfoy."

"Just _okay?_" He raised an eyebrow.

"Give it some time. Maybe you'll grow on me," I said, grinning.

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by the sound of footsteps coming from the tunnel leading to the Corner. Our eyes widened at the same time and he muttered, "C'mon." The blond grabbed my hand and swiftly pulled me to my feet.

We made a dash for the hallway where the spare rooms were. "Draco! We can't go in _there_!" I whispered urgently.

The wooden door to the Corner creaked open and Draco said, "Oh, yes we _can_."

We hid inside the second room on the left of the hallway. Once inside, Draco locked the door, leaned his back against it and whistled. "Close call."

I watched him for a moment, his chest moving up and down at a slow, even pace. He was so well composed, _all the time_. I was sort of jealous of him; his cool demeanor, his charming smile. I'd never noticed before then how handsome he was. His beautiful blond hair fell just over his grey eyes, enough to give him a mysterious, sexy look. Draco Malfoy was an attractive young man. And I was lucky to have the chance to be friends with him. I wasn't going to give up on him, no matter what.

Draco closed his eyes and smiled widely. "Zabini and Tanner."

"What?" I asked.

"The people who just came in. They were Blaise Zabini and Effy Tanner. They're sort of friends with benefits, if you will. Don't tell anybody though," he warned me.

"Friends with benefits..." My eyes widened again. "You mean they're having _sex—_"

Draco pressed his hand to my mouth and shushed me. "Not so loud!" he whispered. Then he cast the Muffliato spell and removed his hand. He cocked his head to the side, listening, and said, "Sounds like they're in that room. Lucky us." He pointed at the wall to my right, where an old wooden dresser sat.

"What's in here?" I asked, pulling open one of the drawers. I squealed and quickly pushed the drawer shut as I saw the edge of a dildo and dozens of sealed condoms almost overflowing from it.

My friend burst into a fit of laughter. He doubled over, clutching his stomach. When he stood up straight again, he walked over to me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so glad you're here," he murmured into my hair.

"You mean in a bedroom with a huge bed and a dresser full of condoms and sex toys?" I chuckled.

"No." He said it softly, and I knew what he meant.

He was glad that I was with him. That he had someone to hold, someone to care about him. And I was glad to be that person.

"So am I," I whispered back.

We were silent for a while, then Draco ruined it and said, "Wanna make out again?"

I pushed him away and said, "That wasn't _making out_. It was one kiss!"

"That you enjoyed very much."

"Are you always this arrogant?"

"Yup."

"Wonderful," I replied sarcastically.

"You gonna answer my question?"

"No. I'll only kiss you when it's necessary."

"And when is it necessary?" He smirked. I loved that smirk.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

With that, I opened the door, checked the hallway for more Slytherins, and made my way through the tunnel and back to my dormitory.

* * *

><p>When I reached the Gryffindor Common Room, I had already decided to sit and do homework. I'd wasted plenty of time talking to Draco, and I wasn't far enough ahead anymore. But I never going to doing my work, because I ran into Harry and Ron in the Common Room. They were sitting by the fireplace, dressed in Quidditch gear and holding their broomsticks.<p>

"Oi, Hermione!" Ron called. Once I joined them, he asked, "Where've you been all this time? You've been unreachable for the past three hours."

Three hours? Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun.

"I was at the library," I replied, using my I'm-a-smart-person-and-I-love-to-read voice.

"You're mental, you with your constant reading and learning. I don't know how you do it," Ron said, shaking his head.

I shot him the look I usually did when he commented on my time spent at the library.

"We're waiting for Dean and Seamus to join us in a little match of Quidditch, since the pitch isn't being used. Care to join Neville in the stands?" Harry asked. I hated that the guys always _assumed_ Neville wasn't going to play. They sort of forced him to sit out the game. Nobody ever gave him the chance.

I sighed and told them I'd stay for a while, but then I really needed to work. I figured I'd have a nice talk with Neville, if he were to sit with me. It could be refreshing.

* * *

><p>As I sat down on the first row bench in the Gryffindor stand, I heard wood creaking behind me. Neville, along with Luna, each took a seat on either side of me.<p>

I was disappointed. "Neville, why don't you ever join the game?"

"What? Quidditch?"

I nodded.

He looked out into the pitch, where Harry, Ron, Dean and Seamus were tossing around a Quaffle, playing two-on-two, without any Keepers. Harry zoomed around on his speedy Firebolt, while the others seemed to be flying in slow motion in comparison to him.

"I'd like to try," he said sadly, "but nobody's ever taught me. After my incident at our first flying lesson, everyone just sort of branded me as a horrible flyer. And that was the end of that."

"I fucking hate that."

Neville gasped. He had a look of complete shock on his face, like I'd just said I hate puppies or something. "You just said fuck."

"Yes. And?"

"Well, you're Hermione. You don't usually say things like that," he said, sounding a bit scared.

"I see."

"What do you hate?" a distant, high-pitched voice asked. I'd almost forgotten Luna was there.

I answered her honestly. "I hate when people brand others as a certain type, and then treat them differently because of their prejudice. It's wrong, and stupid, and I hate it." It was only after I'd said it that I was talking about Draco.

Luna turned to me and said the smartest, most down-to-earth thing I'd ever heard her say. "The people who judge you and treat you wrong are the ones who don't matter. That's how you sort out the good people from the bad ones." She turned her attention back to the Quidditch game, and I noticed that her blond hair and small nose gave her a very nice profile. "We're good people. I don't quite know who the bad ones are, because," she shrugged, "I don't much care."

I realised that we all had prejudices, only we didn't always consciously know we were applying them to our behavior. My friendship with Draco was teaching how to overcome that shallowness. It was teaching me to get to know people, to always give them a chance to be the best they can, and that using 'foul' words wasn't necessarily a bad thing—we all needed to cut loose sometimes.

"Yeah." I smiled. "We _are_ good people."

That moment, where I sat with two of my most _loyal_ friends, watching my two _best_ friends, and thinking of my _newest_ friend, that was the last good moment I had before everything got _fucked_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Uh oh... fucked up stuff comin' along. Gotta love that teenage drama. Please review! ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Draco**

"Now, Mr Finnigan, if you would please show the class your progress on the _Orchideous _spell," Professor McGonagall ordered.

Seamus Finnigan stood up, cleared his throat, and muttered the spell as he made a circular motion with his wand. The flowers of the wreath that he formed had burnt petals and were slightly smoking.

McGonagall sighed. "You really do have an apt for _burning_ things, Seamus."

"I guess I'm too hot," he replied slyly. Most of the class laughed at his joke. I thought it was funny, only because it came from Seamus, a kid who was definitely _not _hot. But I didn't laugh. I was a Slytherin. He was a Gryffindor. We didn't socialize, in any way. Which was why no one could know about Hermione and I.

Speaking of Hermione, I briefly searched the classroom for her, although it wasn't hard to spot her with her big, bushy hair. She caught my eye, held it for a moment and smiled faintly, then turned away. We couldn't risk being seen by other students.

I returned my attention to McGonagall. "As you know, class," she was saying, "Christmas is in three days, and tomorrow is the day most of you will join your families at home. I must remind those of you who will be staying at Hogwarts to behave. Just because you won't have lessons for the next two weeks does _not _mean that we professors won't be around and that you can skip about, wreaking havoc." She lowered her glasses and gave Potter and Weasley a meaningful look, her mouth drawn into a tight line. They both turned to each other and smirked.

"That being said, enjoy your holidays. Merry Christmas to you all. Class dismissed."

I picked up my books and as I was leaving the classroom with my friends, I heard McGonagall say, "Miss Granger. May I speak to you for a moment, please?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

Professor McGonagall had me sit down with her and listen to her excrutiatingly long speech on how Harry, Ron and I were to behave during the break. The emphasis was mostly on the two boys, but admittedly, wherever the boys were, I was there as well. At some points during her lecture, I had to fight back the urge to laugh. The amount of discipline they forced onto us three was totally ridiculous, seeing as our trouble-making always resulted in us saving the damn school, and by extension, the Wizarding World.

It was moments like these that made me realize I was becoming as laid-back as I wanted to be. I was turning into an outgoing person. The thought made me smile, knowing Draco was helping get to my objective.

"Hermione, are you listening?" Professor McGonagall asked, raising her eyebrows. "I seem to be losing my best student."

"No, no," I lied, shaking my head, "you most definitely are not losing me, Professor. I am as focused as ever. And I heard every word you said. No rule-breaking, no trouble-making, no mischief. I promise to keep my friends in order."

She watched me for a moment, then said almost grudgingly, "Alright. You may leave. Happy Christmas."

* * *

><p>I was flipping through my Transfiguration spellbook, casually reading bits and fragments as I left the classroom, when I heard a deep voice behind me.<p>

"Alright, Granger?"

I spun around to see Cormac McLaggen headed towards me, dressed in Quidditch gear that was covered in mud. "I've just been practicing for this year's Quidditch team. You should've seen me. I've got some new moves." He flashed me his toothy grin and I tried my best to hold my lunch down. He stopped walking about three feet away from me.

I decided to play along, hoping he'll leave me alone if I show no interest. "I was in class. You mustn't have been that good, though. You obviously wiped out." I rolled my eyes at him and made to walk away, but he quickly closed the space between us and leaned close to me.

I was so surprised that I dropped my spellbook, the sound it made as it hit the ground echoing along the empty hallway. No one was going to help me out of this mess.

I pressed my hands against Cormac's chest, trying to push him away, but he took it as flirtation and smiled. His perfect teeth and dazzling eyes were charming, as well as intimidating. But I wasn't affected by him the way other girls were. I didn't lust him. Maybe because I knew how much of a prick he was.

"Shove off, McLaggen," I muttered. When he didn't move, I reached for my wand, but he pried my fingers from it and held my hands in his.

"Or what?" he asked mockingly. "I'm too strong for you, Granger. Besides... you know you can't resist me."

He leaned in to kiss me. I turned my face away and screamed, "Stop! Get away from me!" I clawed at him, but he gripped my hands tightly and pressed them against the wall, above my head. I winced as he moved his mouth to my neck.

Then I heard a grunt and McLaggen's body was no longer pressed to mine. Ron's voice rung out, "What the bloody hell are you _doing_? Honestly McLaggen, who the _fuck_ d'you think you are?"

McLaggen was sprawled on the floor. Ron grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up. "You bloody bastard," my best friend panted, alive with anger. I'd never seen him that mad before. I also wondered when he'd gotten so strong.

Though Ron seemed to overpower him, McLaggen wasn't going to go down easy. He pushed Ron away, who stumbled slightly. McLaggen raised his fist, but my friend was quicker. Ron punched him squarely in the face, and there was a crunching sound as McLaggen's nose broke. He shook his head, disoriented. He brought his hand up to his face and wiped away some of the blood.

In that moment of silence, Ron turned to me and silently watched me, asking me with his eyes if I was alright. I nodded and smiled, grateful for his help.

Then Cormac yelled in frustration and shouted, "_Diffindo!_" The jet of light connected with Ron's leg, his bone emitting a loud _crack!_ as it fractured. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his tibia.

Cormac's face twisted into a disgusting grin, a look of smugness. Tears threatened to spill over my cheeks, the sight of Ron in such a painful state was absolutely horrible, but I held them back. I rushed to his aid, but I didn't risk performing any spells myself; he needed to be taken to the Hospital wing.

"Get out of here," I threatened Cormac as I hunched over Ron's leg.

He didn't listen to me.

"You going to cry, Weasley? D'you need your little girlfriend to make it better?" he taunted.

Ron hauled himself to his feet, his face red with anger. "Ron, don't!" I yelled.

But, of course, he pulled out his own wand and they began aiming as well as blocking jinxes, curses and spells. There was no stopping them. Ron's broken leg wasn't even holding him back; he balanced himself on one foot.

I was about to _Petrify_ them both, just for the sake of ending this stupid fight, when I noticed something. We stood at the end of the corridor, where it sharply branched off to the right. There, lurking in the shadows, I saw a patch of white-blond hair.

"Draco," I whispered.

* * *

><p>My heart leapt into my throat as "the one, the only, <em>Draco Malfoy!"<em> stepped into view - I felt like his entrance into any room needed to be announced to the world, followed by the cheering of a humongous crowd.

I was stunned by his bravery. Anyone with eyes would be able to see him, as well as the fact that he was strolling over to me. I glanced over my shoulder, worried that Ron might notice him, but he had his back to me. And besides, he was busy dueling Cormac.

I ran towards Draco and whispered urgently, "_What are you doing?_ Ron's going to _see you!_"

"Not if we leave now." He took my hand and pulled me along with him, away from Ron and McLaggen. I didn't resist, but I _did _feel like a truly horrible person. I was leaving my best friend when he needed me, right after he'd helped me in a way I would never be able to pay him back for. Only I couldn't resist Draco's gravitational pull; I was too influenced by him.

Before we turned the corner, I caught a glimpse of Ron: his hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, his eyes circled with dark patches, panting from the exhaustion of fighting one of the toughest guys in Gryffindor.

And he was watching me leave with Draco.

The hurt expression on his face damn near broke my heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thanks for readin', man! This was one of those "Ah, I need to write this and get it out of the way" chapters... But now that it's done, we can get to the good parts. Please review! :)

P.S.: Thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapters, and the ones who put me on story alert! Means a lot to me! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since the last update, but I finally sat myself down and got to work. Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas, or Hanukkah or whatever it is you celebrate! And happy New Year to come! I hope you all treat me to some reviews on this chapter :)

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

I was on my way to the Hospital wing when I heard pounding footsteps behind me.

"Oi, Hermione!"

Harry stopped before me, bent over with his hands placed on his knees. "Have you seen Ron? I've been looking for you two for ages!" he panted.

"He's in there."

Harry made a double take between me and the Hospital doors. "Cormac," I explained. He immediately understood what I meant. McLaggen had been after me since the start of the school year, and he didn't want to let up. Harry relaxed slightly, but he still seemed very worried.

"How is he?"

"Let's go find out," I said reluctantly.

* * *

><p>"How you feeling, mate?" Harry asked.<p>

Ron was looking better than I'd thought he would, which I was immensely grateful for. He had a broken leg, sure, but Madam Pomfrey would heal that just fine. The only thing that was off about him was the expression on his face. He looked extremely worn out. He needed rest.

Harry stood right by his head, but I kept my distance. I couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that had happened. Add to that the guilt of leaving Ron, with _Malfoy_ nonetheless, when all he was doing was protecting me.

"Alright," Ron muttered. He propped himself up on his elbows. He smiled at Harry, but he barely glanced at me, poised at the foot of his bed.

"That McLaggen is a right lunatic. Why'd you have to be so attractive, Hermione?" Harry joked. He laughed, of course, but all Ron and I could manage were awkward smiles.

"You guys don't have to stick around. I'll be fine," Ron said.

"Are you sure you'll be okay in time for the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff?"

"Definitely. But in the meantime, you'll have to replace me with Neville in your practice matches."

Ron flashed him a toothy grin as Harry groaned, "Wonderful."

I wanted to say something reproachful to them about taking Neville for granted, but I thought it best if I kept my mouth shut for a while, at least around Ron.

"Madam Pomfrey should just about be shooing us out soon," Harry said, standing up and making for the door.

"Go on. And Harry! Don't you bloody dare try to peek at your presents early while I'm not around!" he shouted, but Harry was already gone.

Then his attention turned to me. I'd never felt any discomfort while meeting Ron's gaze until that moment. His eyes accused me of all the emotions I felt.

"Look, Ron—"

"You don't have to say anything." His voice was calm, composed. But there was also hurt.

"Yes, I do. I want to thank you for what you did. You were so brave. Merlin knows what Cormac would've done to me if you hadn't come round."

"Is that all?" This time I could tell he was trying to sound bored, but he was also building up some anger.

"I—I don't know—" I stammered but he cut me off.

"What the fuck was that, Hermione?" His tone was acid-like, dripping with fury.

"Let me explain—"

"I don't want to hear what you've got to say. I saw what I saw. You've made your choice. You've no business with me anymore."

"Ron, don't be so rash!" I cried. "You _know _I care about you, I could never choose him over you!"

"Then what the _fuck _were you doing, running away with him?" he shouted, his face red with anger.

"Is everything all right out there?" Madam Pomfrey called from her office.

"Fine, Professor. No need to worry," I called. Then I lowered my voice and continued, "Ron, he's not what he seems. If you could only give him a chance—"

"Never in hell—"

"And _stop cutting me off!_" I whispered furiously. The look on my face shut him up. I was getting just as angry as him.

There was silence for a while as we both didn't know what to say. We were both breathing hard, trying unsuccessfully to calm ourselves. Then Ron reached for a book on his nightstand and threw it to the foot of his bed.

"I wasn't the only thing you left behind."

That last sentence was what broke me down. I picked up my Transfiguration spellbook, tears stinging my eyes. I opened my mouth to thank him again, but nothing came out. I realised he was looking away from me. I wasn't wanted anymore. So I left, wiping away the tears streaming down my face.

* * *

><p>When I reached the common room, Harry was the only one there. He was at a table, doing his Astronomy homework, but when he saw me, he stood up.<p>

"What happened?" he asked, putting his arm around my shoulders. We sat down on the couch facing the fireplace. Flaming tendrils licked at the logs, and the warmth somewhat soothed me.

"R-Ron and I—we h-had a—a fight," I sobbed into his shirt.

"But you two fight often," Harry said innocently.

"Th-this time it w-was ba-ad."

"What was the fight about?" he asked softly. He gently ran his hand along my arm, but it wasn't in a romantic way. I could always count on Harry to be the comforting guy best friend.

I looked up at him and pulled away slowly. "I need to tell you something. It's important."

He gave me with a quizzical look. "Go ahead."

"You have to promise me you'll listen until the end. And you won't get mad."

Harry shifted his weight and turned to face me more directly. "This should be good."

I told him everything about Draco. I told him about my decision to find out what his problem was, how I found the note, his almost-suicide—I left out the part about the Corner, mostly because I felt it was mine and Draco's secret. As expected, Harry cringed every time I called him 'Draco', but I assumed it was only because he wasn't used to it.

I continued on the incident with Cormac, and I finished off with the re-telling of my argument with Ron.

I exhaled deeply and waited. Harry said nothing for a while, which I guess was better than him yelling at me. He stared at the ground for what seemed like forever, then met my gaze and asked the last thing I would've expected him to ask.

"Do you want me to trust him, too?"

"I would like you to."

"I can't deal with this, Hermione. Choosing between trusting Malfoy or not would mean choosing between you or Ron."

That statement hurt me. I didn't want to face what Harry was impying: that Ron had decided we were no longer friends because I'd already chosen Draco over him. But that wasn't the case. I had hoped I could keep them both. I guess it was just wishful thinking.

"It doesn't have to be a fork in the road, Harry. Your decision on whether or not to trust Draco shouldn't affect your friendship with Ron. If it does, it's his problem, not yours."

"I just can't risk it, Mione."

I grabbed his hand with both of mine and squeezed. "Harry, _please_. He's a wonderful lad, he really is!"

His brows knit together suddenly. "How can you be so sure? You know his family background. He's probably a soon-to-be Death Eater!"

I shook my head. "No. He told me his secrets, Harry. He wants to run away. And very soon, he will. The day he turns seventeen." I looked deep into my best friend's green eyes. "I want to trust him. He's shown me new things. He's teaching me how to really _live_. Harry, this is the happiest I've been in a _long_ time. Can't you be happy for me, too?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, thinking it over. "Okay, tell you what. When it comes to Malfoy, I'll be here for you through thick and thin, and I'll even try to see him as a nice guy. But I'm not, under _any _circumstances, _ever_ going public with him."

"Alright, alright," I allowed. I was very surprised by how quickly Harry had accepted everything. I guess he really understood me at a time when no one else did. Besides Draco, of course. "Thank you, Harry. It really means a lot to me."

He pulled me into a hug and muttered, "You owe me so much," into my ear. Then he blew in it and I pulled away, clutching my ear with both hands.

"I hate it when you do that!" I yelled, throwing myself at him. We pushed each other playfully, each struggling to get a hold of the other, until we both fell off the couch. We lay there for a while, laughing breathlessly. Despite all the dramatic things that were happening, I was perfectly content at that moment. I felt as if there was still hope for all of this to be fixed.

"Feels good to cut loose sometimes, huh?" Harry asked me.

"Yeah, it definitely does," I sighed happily.


	8. Chapter 8

****"_Behind every pair of eyes is a life full of stories._"

-Unknown.

* * *

><p><strong>Draco<strong>

On December 23rd, most everybody left Hogwarts. Of the entire school, only nine wizards were staying during the holiday, myself and Hermione included. There was also Potter, Weasley, Blaise, Pansy and a few others I didn't recognize.

As we sat for dinner, I glanced across the Great Hall, noticing how quiet and empty it was with everyone gone. This was new to me, as it was my first year staying at the school for the holidays. Pansy and Blaise had offered to stay with me, though I didn't tell them exactly why I wasn't going home.

Not that I could tell them, even if I wanted to. I had no idea. My arsehole of a father hadn't sent me any new letters, and Aunt Bella wasn't responding to mine. I didn't know where she was or what she was doing, but I guess my ignorance was for the best; she got caught up in some real dark shit all the time, and I didn't want to be a part of Voldemort's world. I just wanted to be Draco.

I reached across the Slytherin table and grabbed another chicken leg. The moment my sleeve pulled back and revealed my wrist, Blaise breathed, "_You're showing_."

I quickly replaced my sleeve over my scar and mouthed a _thanks _to him, even though Pansy didn't seem to have noticed it. She was too engrossed in her breakfast, scarfing it all down in one bite.

"Calm down, will you?" Blaise teased. "You're going to turn into a fat cow!"

"Fuck you!" Pansy sneered, her mouth full of food. It was quite ironic, really, because she really did look like a cow at that moment. She had recently decided to cut her hair real short, with straight bangs cut just above her eyes. This new hairdo made her eyes look bigger, and more... cow-ish.

Blaise and I both laughed loudly as she made a pouty face. Blaise Zabini was my best friend. I could honestly say he was the person I trusted most in the world. He was the only one—besides Hermione—who knew about my parents, and he actually cared. He looked out for me. The day I was sent to the infirmary, he had burst in and demanded what had happened to me. But when he saw my wrists, he wasn't reproachful.

He was the one who had gotten me through all the shit in my life. I owed him. And the best part was that I knew we would always be close.

I hadn't told him about Hermione, though. I guess there really wasn't much for me to say. I couldn't tell him that I loved her, or that I'd kissed her—even though it didn't change anything between us. I wanted to keep that part of my life a secret. I hoped she had kept it such as well.

"Draco," Blaise whispered beside me. He slipped something into my hand under the table, and I quickly realised it was a letter. "Hey, Parkinson, why don't we go look around for something to do?" He wriggled his dark eyebrows at her, smirking.

She looked disgusted. "You're a right tosser, you know that? Ugh. You coming, Draco?"

"Um, no. I'm feeling a bit tired. I'm gonna go rest."

She shrugged and strutted out of the Hall. Before following her, Blaise and turned to me and pointed at the letter. "An owl was perched on your windowsill this morning. I untied the note from its leg and sent it back."

I nodded. "Cheers, Blaise."

He shot me a lopsided grin and ran off, looking eager as hell.

I could tell he liked Pansy. So be it. We all knew she had a thing for me, but the feeling wasn't mutual, so I didn't care. I was happy for my best friend and I hoped he and Pansy would get together, much as I couldn't _stand _the girl. She was a right bitch at times. A _true _Slytherin.

I glanced at the letter and instantly recognized the envelope as of the ones my father used. By the time I slid the note out, my heart was hammering. What bad news awaited me _this _time?

_I've decided I need a break. I'll be gone for a few months. You'll have to leech off someone else until I return. Do not disturb me or your aunt._

_L.M._

I sighed heavily and pulled on the edges of the paper, but it wouldn't give.

My heart sank as the reality of the situation finally set in. My mother was gone because of me, and now my father had left, too. I couldn't access my aunt either, for some unknown reason.

They had all left me.

* * *

><p>Back in the empty Slytherin common room, I walked straight up to the fireplace and chucked the letter into the flames. I watched the corners turn blue, then purple, and finally black. The paper folded in on itself and disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but a feeling of numbness that spread quickly through my chest. For a while, I stood there and stared blankly at the flames.<p>

A million thoughts raced through my mind at once. There was so much happening, so much I couldn't handle anymore. I thought I was going to break under all the pressure.

The people I was supposed to love and _trust_ had abandoned me, without so much as an explanation. All I had left were Blaise and Hermione, but I wasn't even _supposed _to be friends with the latter, let alone be in _love _with her.

And then there was my mother's story.

My mother.

She followed me everywhere I went. Any time I ever felt happy, she whispered in my ear, _Remember what you did to me._ And there went my smile, right down the drain.

I knew I was supposed to miss her, or feel guilty at the least.

But I _couldn't _miss her because I never knew her.

And I didn'tfeel guilty because I didn't _ask _for that to happen.

I couldn't have stopped it... it wasn't my fault.

"_It wasn't my fault!" _I yelled into the silence of the room.

I ran to the bookshelves stacked against the walls and yanked them all out one by one, shredding pages apart as I threw them across the room. I spun and kicked down the chairs, I pushed all the paraphernalia off the desks and yelled once more, "I DON'T DESERVE THIS!"

Then I sunk to the ground and buried my face in my hands, surrounded by the mess I'd created out of anger. I pressed my fingers to my temples and exhaled slowly.

I needed to stop thinking for a while.

And I only knew one effective way to do that.

I went upstairs to my room and rummaged through my bedside table drawer until I found was I was looking for.

I turned the small container of pills over in my hand and stared at it for a long time.

It didn't feel right. This wasn't the time for drugs.

So I decided to stow them away in my coat pocket. I'd go find Blaise in the morning and we could enjoy them together.

I climbed into bed, and though the night was still young, I was exhausted. I tossed and turned for a while before finally slipping into the peace and quiet that is sleep.

* * *

><p>When I awoke, I was still feeling a bit groggy. I could only imagine the shock splayed on my face when I noticed that my alarm clock read 12:34 PM. I had slept for over 14 hours, yet it hadn't been enough.<p>

I really needed an escape.

Once I had gotten ready, I headed down to the common room in search of that Zabini retard. When he wasn't there, I navigated through the halls with my hands in my pockets, wondering where the hell he could be.

Then I rounded a corner and saw two bodies pressed tightly against each other. When I realised they were Blaise and Pansy, my mouth fell open and I stood there looking like an idiot.

They didn't notice me, though, because they were too busy snogging each other's faces off. So I walked away, wandering the halls aimlessly, until anger set into my system.

Just yesterday morning, I would've been happy for those two. But today, I felt absolutely shitty, and seeing them together only added to my loneliness.

A whole wave of emotions washed over me at once, and I acted on instinct.

* * *

><p>Before I knew it, I was in the library. I sped down the aisles, looking for her.<p>

I found her in the last row. She sat hunched over the table, a giant book sitting open before her.

She looked up at the sound of my footsteps.

"Draco," she said warmly. But her smile slowly faded as she took in my panicked state.

"I need to get out."

She shut the book and joined me.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked, taking my hand.

I sighed as some of the tension is my shoulders dissipated.

"Anywhere but here."

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><p><strong>AN: **I'd like to dedicate this author's note to all those who put BBGE on story alert, and a SPECIAL thank you to anyone who reviewed... you guys are awesome! Oh and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Longest chapter yet, so bear with me, guys! Enjoy! ~

**Disclaimer reminder: **I still don't own Harry Potter... but my _Original Draco Malfoy_ doll is being shipped as we speak.

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><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

We walked in silence. I had my right arm hooked through his, seeing as it was snowing and I was frozen to the bone. The cold dryness of the air had sucked all the moisture out of my lips and made my nose turn red. I was afraid I looked like crap in front of Draco, but every so often he looked down at me and smiled as if to say, _Don't worry, I still think you're beautiful._

After a while, we finally reached our destination.

Hogsmeade village was bustling with activity, despite the cold weather. All around us, witches and wizards were rushing from store to store, searching for last-minute Christmas gifts.

This year, I'd gotten one each for Harry, Ron, Hagrid _and _Draco. I really, really hoped he didn't think it was too much. The last thing I wanted to do was make him think I had romantic feelings for him; he would definitely start avoiding me _then_.

Draco sighed happily when The Three Broomsticks came into view. We started walking a bit faster, eager to get out of the cold.

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><p>As soon as we crossed the threshold of the inn, a rush of warm, smoky air hit us like a wave. The place was as crowded as I'd ever seen it, full to the brim of witches and wizards who sat around, drinking and laughing. Christmas decorations were strewn along the walls and wooden pillars. Loud music was booming throughout the restaurant, and many of the customers were dancing drunkenly on a small dance floor at the center of it all.<p>

"Madam Rosmerta," Draco greeted her with a charming smile.

"Oh, Draco! So nice to see you again," she replied with a flirtatious grin. "And you, miss Granger," she added, finally noticing me. "I'm afraid the pub is so full tonight, most people don't have any room to sit!"

"Actually," he said, leaning in closer to her, "I was hoping you could work something out for me, your favorite customer."

For a moment, the pub owner seemed to be dazzled by Draco's twinkling eyes, and when she snapped out of it, all she could do was mutter, "Yes, yes, of course. I'll be right back." And she ran off into the mass of people.

"Wow, you really have a way with people, don't you?"

"I have a way of getting what I want," he corrected me.

"You know that's not always a good thing?" I asked warily.

He looked at me. "Don't worry. I only used my charmthis time because..." He lowered his mouth to my ear and whispered, "...because I want this to be our special night."

A shiver ran down my spine as he pulled away. Right then, Madam Rosmerta reappeared and notified us that a booth at the back had been cleared for us.

We sat face to face, both of us on either side of the table. For a while, we just watched the people dancing, smoking, telling stories and laughing. Their smiles made us smile. It was like the happiness in that pub was contagious.

"Draco? Why did you want to leave Hogwarts so suddenly?" I asked curiously, realising he hadn't told me why.

He sighed and slid his bottle of Firewhiskey between both hands. "Things just keep getting worse, Hermione. I don't know what to do anymore."

"Do you want to talk? About... your mum and dad?"

His bright grey eyes hardened for a moment, then his shoulders slumped and he began, "I don't want to launch into a long, sappy story, so here's the short version: my mother died when she gave birth to me; my father's hated me all my life because of it; my Aunt Bellatrix is the only person who'll ever look at me without contempt in her eyes. But right now, my father's left the country and I have no fucking idea where he or my aunt are."

Oh, so there was the entire story. The pieces of the puzzle started coming together in my mind.

I reached across the table for his hand and held it tightly. "I understand, Draco."

"No you don't, Hermione! _Nobody_ fucking understands!"

I flinched at the sudden anger in his voice. But he calmed down just as quickly as he'd flared up. He pushed back his bangs and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

He stopped, because I'd started giggling. "What's so funny?" he asked, a smile forming on his lips.

I pointed at his hair. "Your bangs are sticking up in all directions. You look like a bloody chicken!" I laughed.

"Are you calling me a Hippogriff?" he teased.

At first, I didn't get what he meant. Then I realised.

"Oh, my goodness! I _remember_ that!" I exclaimed.

He was referring to our third year, when he'd gotten struck by Buckbeak. Hagrid had carried Draco away, while he shouted something about, '...you and your bloody chicken'.

"Yep, back when I was a stupid prick."

"What do you mean, _was_?" I smirked.

Draco flashed me his perfectly white smile.

"I like you, Granger. You're all right."

"I like you, too, Malfoy. Sometimes."

He widened his eyes in mock-hurt. I winked in return.

"I think some of my charm is rubbing off on you."

"How so?" I asked.

"You've become quite the flirt yourself. Soon you'll be able to get into any lad's pants without a problem."

"Draco!" I gasped, laughing. "You're such a dirty little blond."

"Hey, hey, hey," he said seriously. "A) I am _not _little. B) Blonds have more fun. _Oh_, and speaking of fun, I brought a little something for us to enjoy."

He placed a small bottle of pills on the table.

"What are those?" I asked slowly, warily.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"_Draco._"

"Oh, c'mon, they're not strong."

"_What are they?_"

He raised his hands defensively. "Just a bit of crushed marijuana."

"I've never heard of weed pills," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

"And since when are you a drug expert?" he asked, grinning. "Okay, I admit that weed is usually smoked, not swallowed... but these are better. They don't smell, and they kick in faster than a joint."

I shook my head slowly, staring at the tiny container.

"Hermione. Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Oh, in that case... _no_."

"For me?"

"Draco..."

"Okay, I've got a brilliant idea." He called to a waiter and asked for two glasses of water. Once they were set in front of us, Draco took out a single pill and placed it between them on the table. "How about this: you close your eyes, and I'll put the pill in one of the glasses. I'll switch 'em around so we don't know which one it's in, then we'll each choose a glass and chug it all down."

"If we both won't know which glass it's in, why do I need to close my eyes?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because," he answered smoothly, "I know you're smart enough to keep your eye on the drugged one."

He was right. I wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation. I did _not _want to get stuck with the drugged glass... but I figured I had a 50/50 chance, which wasn't too bad.

"Okay," I finally gave in.

"Yes!" he cheered, and he looked so much like a child that I couldn't help but giggle. The tension from before seemed to have disappeared completely.

I closed my eyes while he chose a glass. Then I reopened them and watched as he switched the cups around possibly a dozen times over. When he was done, we each took one at random and smiled. Here goes everything, I thought.

"But first, a toast," Draco proclaimed.

We raised our glasses of water.

"To new beginnings," I said.

"To cutting loose," he grinned.

"To mister Draco Malfoy."

"And miss Hermione Granger."

We drank.

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><p>About fifteen minutes went by, and I didn't feel any different. Our conversation went on, normal as ever, as if neither of us had taken any drugs at all.<p>

But then I started feeling... stupid. What a stupid thought, ha ha, because I was _Hermione Granger_! I couldn't feel _stupid_! But I _did _feel stupid. How stupid. Everything was stupid.

"Stupid," I said aloud.

"What?" Draco asked.

"Everything is so stupid." And then I started laughing.

Draco's smile widened. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Great!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air.

Draco caught my arm and pulled me out of the booth.

"Let's dance."

And we did. We squirmed our way to the center of the dance floor, which was now packed with people. The lights dimmed and the music got louder, so loud that I could _feel_ it in my body, in my pulse, in my _soul_. I felt alive, and happier than I'd ever been. I swayed to the beat with both my hands above my head. I was vaguely aware of Draco's hands on my waist, then his body pressed to mine, moving in time with the music.

Everything around me melted away. There were no problems, only here and now and Draco..._ Draco_. I let out a low groan as his lips trailed down my neck, his hands now at the small of my back. Every time he touched me, my skin prickled.

He looked deep into my eyes, smiled and pointed above our heads. There was a small branch of leaves hanging from the ceiling.

"Mistletoe," he grinned.

"Probably full of nargles, though," I said, but I don't think he heard me.

But then, when his lips met mine once again—

Every function in my brain stopped.

They were soft, softer than last time. He didn't just taste good—he tasted _dangerous_.

All I did was _feel_: his blond hair between my fingers; his strong hand at my back, the other cupping my face; his sweet breath mixed with my own; his body pressed tightly to mine.

We kissed. I kissed him. He kissed me.

We kissed.

_We were making out!_

My brain knew it was wrong, but it was too lazy to stop my body.

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><p>We kept dancing for what felt like hours. But I wasn't complaining. Then my beautiful, beautiful friend checked his watch and said we had to go back to hogwash or something.<p>

"What's hogwash?" I shouted above the music.

"Hogwarts!" he yelled.

_Oh. _Ha ha.

So we left the broomsticks and trekked back to our school on a cold Christmas evening.

"Hey. Hey, Draco," I giggled. "Guess what?"

He gave me an amused sort of look.

"I like you!"

He chuckled. "I know you do."

"No,no,no,no... I mean I really, _really_, like... _like _you."

"No, you don't, Hermione. You're just high."

"I am not!" I stomped my foot defiantly.

"Yes, you are. But if it makes you feel any better... I love you."

I laughed heartily. "I love you, too!"

He shook his head disbelievingly. He was looking straight ahead, his mouth pressed in a tight line. "Yeah, we'll see if you feel the same way when the high wears off."

We walked the rest of the way in silence.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Reviews are wonderful :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Finally, a really sexy chapter! I'm so excited for you guys to read this!

But first, I need to explain something. I'm sure some of you have already thought that this entire story doesn't make sense, because two people who hated each other so much could never become friends, or have any type of feelings for each other. But I'd like to point that this situation is very possible, as the entire story is based on a personal experience. I fell in love with a boy I used to hate, and we became the best of friends. Now I can't imagine living without him. So let this Fanfic serve as a lesson to anybody who has an enemy, whether at school or at work. You should always give people a chance, because they might just end up being one of your favorite people in the world! :)

Okay, nooooow... Enjoyyy! ~

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><p><strong>Draco<strong>

It was the worst Christmas of my life. I spent all day searching for Hermione, but she was no-where to be found. So instead I spent the day with Blaise and Pansy, pretending I didn't know about the two of them, and faking a smile the best I could.

I didn't see her, not _once_, for the remainder of the holiday. _Probably off fucking that Weasley bastard_, I thought bitterly, but I knew I was wrong. Hermione wasn't like that, and Weasley couldn't get her into bed, anyway.

I sulked around day and night, day and night, until finally break was over, the students returned to Hogwarts and normal classes resumed.

And so, that morning, I saw her. Our eyes met briefly from either side of the Great Hall, but she quickly looked away and blinked a few times, as if my gaze had burned her eyes. As if I made her uncomfortable. As if she felt guilty.

I kept watching her, and I knew she knew I was watching, even as she tried to distract herself by striking up a conversation with her friends. But I could still see her unease. _Good._ I wanted her to know I was fucking pissed at her for the way she'd been avoiding me, _especially _after our... special night.

_Oh. _Maybe _that_ was her problem.

Regardless, I wanted to know what was making her act this way.

So when she stood up and left the Hall, I followed her.

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><p>It took her a few minutes, but she finally realized the sound of my footsteps was following her. Still keeping her pace, she glanced back, saw me and sighed.<p>

"We need to talk," I said quietly, hopefully.

Deep inhale, exhale. "Fine."

"The Corner." I desperately hoped she was following me as I led the way down to the common room, through the secret passageway and into the hangout space.

I plopped down onto one of the couches, but she sat carefully on the armchair across from me, as if afraid it contained a deadly disease.

I wrinkled my nose at her. "What's your fucking problem?" I demanded, then instantly regretted it.

A look of hurt crossed her face, and she moved her gaze to the floor. "What?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean, _what?_ Hermione, why haven't you spoken to me for the past _WEEK?_" I practically shouted the last word.

"I—I, uh—"

"Did you not have fun on Christmas eve? I thought it was special..." I searched her eyes with mine and whispered, "Was it that bad, having to kiss me?"

Her head snapped up. "No! It's just... Draco, I—I don't know how I... how I feel about you. It's a bit overwhelming, really."

"What's so overwhelming about it?" I snapped.

Her eyes flared for a moment. "Don't talk to me like that! You don't understand, Draco, how I felt when I went to bed that night. I tossed and turned, feeling guilty for all the things I'd done!"

"Why the fuck would you feel guilty about kissing me?" I shouted, my heart hammering in my chest, partly afraid of what her answer would be.

"Because! Because of what you said!" She paused, panting slightly. Then she lowered her voice and continued, "You said you love me."

I didn't respond.

"I felt—I _feel_ guilty because by kissing you I led you on to believe I had the same feelings for you. But... it's like you said that night. I only acted that way because I was high."

She gave me a look of pure pity, the same kind of look you'd give to a kid with terminal cancer. But then I smiled broadly, and her face twisted into a shape that can't be described by words.

I cleared my throat and raised my eyebrows. "Right, right. You're totally right, Hermione. You have no feelings for me whatsoever. It was all because you were high. Oh, but wait. Wait, no. No—you weren't high."

"Of course I was."

"No, you weren't."

"What are you talking about?"

"One: there's no such thing as weed pills. Two: I didn't put anything in either of our drinks."

She shook her head and was about to say something, but I cut her off. "Hermione, the entire concept of being high revolves around the placebo effect. If you tell yourself you're high, you will _believe _you are high and therefore you will act as such. It's all in your head. All of it. And don't tell me I'm wrong," I added, "because this is one thing you can only understand by experience, and not through the books that you read. I swear to you that I did not put a single ounce of weed or _any _other type of drug in your drink."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You tricked me," she spat.

I merely shrugged. "What's life without a little fun? Admit it, our night would have been pretty damn boring if we hadn't made out."

Her cheeks reddened slightly. She ran her hands through her hair and shut her eyes. I swiftly got to my feet, then kneeled down in front of her armchair. I placed my forearms on her lap and looked up at her beautiful face. She finally met my gaze, and I held her hands in mine without breaking eye contact.

My heart was pounding harder than ever before. "I said it before, and I'll say it again. Hermione... I love you."

Her eyes swam in tears and she shook her head minutely. "How?" she breathed.

"You're perfect," I said simply. "Anyone with eyes can see that. You're everything any man could ever ask for. I know our situation is unusual and... very difficult to work out, but now that I have you, Hermione, I don't want to lose you. Now that we're friends, I want us to be _more_."

"You can't love me," she pressed on, still not believing me. "You're _Draco Malfoy_. You've had tons of one night stands with Merlin knows how many other girls, and you've never once had feelings for them. So how could you possibly love _me_?"

I sighed. "I don't know where the feeling came from, Hermione, but it's _there_. I want to be with you... all the time. And you're different from the other girls because when I'd have my way with them in bed, I'd wake up the next morning and leave before they even woke up themselves. But if I spent the night with you, I'd stay and eagerly wait for you to open your eyes, for you to show me that beautiful smile of yours."

She smiled then, and I fell in love with her all over again. "Nobody has ever said things like this to me before," she said breathlessly.

"That's because nobody's ever loved you as much as I do. And I know you care about me, too. You weren't high, Hermione. You _wanted_ to kiss me." I stood up and pranced around the room, chanting, "_Hermione lo-oves Draco, Hermione lo-oves Draco!_"

Hermione came over and pulled my arms down, restraining me from dancing. "Stop it," she giggled. She calmed her voice, but she was still smiling when she said, "I think _love _is too strong a word."

I tried to hide the disappointment from my face. "Okay, so maybe you don't love me, _yet_. But you _do_ like me. You _do _think I'm sexy." She raised her eyebrows and shaped her mouth into a small _o_. I lowered my voice and brought my face closer to hers, only an inch away. I felt the sparks flying between us, the heat eminating from both our bodies as they moved closer. "You _do_ want to kiss me."

Hermione tilted her chin up, and her lips melted into mine. Her mouth was so warm, the caress of her lips softer than I ever could've imagined. Her hands snaked around my neck and I backed her up against the wall. I pressed my body to hers as she deepened the kiss, letting my tongue slip in to her mouth. I tasted Hermione, I felt Hermione, I _breathed_ Hermione.

I grabbed her wrists and held them against the wall, above her head. Her mouth fell open in a low moan as I trailed my lips down her jaw, gently sucking on her neck. The skin there was soft and delicate; I felt her pulse pounding through her body. I let go of her wrists and slid my hands down her slim figure. I took hold of her waist, picked her up and laid her down on the couch.

Hermione sat upright, grabbed my collar and pulled my body back onto hers. Her hair lay sprawled over the cushions, falling over the edge in beautifully silky curls. I pushed the strands of it away from her face as my lips crashed into hers once more. She gently tugged on my lower lip with her teeth, making me growl, hungry for more of her. I ground my hips into hers, and she gasped, throwing her head back.

"Oh, Draco," she moaned, biting her lip.

I lowered my lips to hers for the last time before laying down beside her. She was panting heavily, and I smirked, "_That_ tired you out?"

She turned her head sideways to me and laughed, "I've never done anything like that before. So, yes."

I looked deep into her eyes and whispered, "I love you."

She smiled. "We should do this again sometime."

"Are you, Hermione Granger, saying you want to date me?"

"No, not date." She hesitated. "More like—"

"Friends with benefits?" I asked tentatively.

"I guess. But... I don't want us to just have meaningless sex."

"Okay, okay. I get what you mean. How about this: we—"

"You really like to make deals with people, don't you?" she grinned.

"It's not a deal as much as it is getting our facts straight. I just want us to be on the same page."

"Okay, Mr. Malfoy. What's your plan?"

"We can have a sort of test trial. For the next few weeks, we can meet up whenever and fool around—you know, making out and stuff—and if you develop real feelings for me, we'll date. If you don't," I shrugged, "I'll have to deal with us just being friends."

"Okay, so... we're friends with benefits, but with feelings?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

I chuckled. "Basically."

For a moment, she looked like something was bothering her. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I... I just—I'm not ready to have sex yet, so—"

"Hermione, Hermione. Don't even worry about that." I cupped her cheek softly and murmured, "We'll go slowly, okay? And only when you're ready. And if you don't want to, we don't have to."

She nodded. Then she smiled and brushed her lips softly against mine once more.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Okay... so I haven't updated this story in what feels like forever. Well, here's the last chapter! I'd like to make a special request, and ask that you open a youtube tab and listen to "Thinkin Bout You – Emmalyn (Cover)" while reading this chapter... It just fits too perfectly.3

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><p><strong>Draco<strong>

The school year finally ended. We were together almost every day that summer. We picked apples, walked in the park, and made love under the stars, hidden by the canopy of leaves hanging from the low branches that swayed overhead. Flowers blew into her hair, and I untangled them from her curls, tracing her face with my fingertips. I watched the outline of her profile as she rested her head on my chest, just above my heart, which threatened to burst at any moment. I was burning with desire for her, aching to be with her every moment we were apart.

We would talk, lying together like that, and we would teach each other the important matters in life. I taught her to give people second chances, and taught me how to open up, how to love and trust freely. We learnt that everyone isn't always what they seem, and that each person holds so many secrets behind their eyes, hidden deep inside of them. We grew up, we matured together, and we saw the world in a new and beautiful way.

And when she lifted her head, and tilted her face toward mine, and when her lips gently brushed mine, shivers ran up my spine and my skin tingled everywhere, _everywhere._

One day, years later, I murmured, "Hermione, I've been thinking..." And I paused.

She prompted, "Thinking about what?"

I gazed into her dark brown eyes and said, "I've been thinking about forever. With you."

"You and me?" She pursed her lips.

"Yes."

She smiled and kissed me once, lightly.

"Yes, I quite like the sound of that."

No one could ever compare to my Hermione Granger.

She loved me, and I loved her, and she was beautiful to me in ways no one had ever seemed beautiful to me before. She was my everything, and what I loved the most about her was that once she realised she loved me, she never hid it, never tried to deny it, never noticed anyone else but me. She showed me she cared, she acted like it and she reminded me so often I never had any doubt in my mind. We were completely head over heels, and it was, it still is, the best feeling ever.

Now, we are eighty-two years old, sitting in the living room of our home, in the heart of London. She still wears the wedding ring I bought her, with the words _Look Deeper_ engraved in it. And whenever, _if _ever, we fight, I point at the ring, and she looks deeper into my grey eyes, and she sees the love and the fire always burning there, she sees the intensity with which I love her, and the entire fight just slips away, every last drop of it, until we are once again left with nothing but each other, and our love, and our trust, and our fire, and our eyes, oh, our eyes, the start and finish of our relationship.

We fall deeper into each other every single day, without once looking back.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I really, really hope you enjoyed this story, as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you, thank you if you stuck around to read every chapter, you're the best. Well, I guess that's it, then. Goodbye, peoples! :)

P.S.: Just watched The Hunger Games... What a great movie! Josh Hutcherson!3


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